Your Donation Path
Community Support for Our Furry Friends
Every donation, large or small, creates a ripple of hope for homeless pets in Fayette County.
Why It Matters
Your generosity helps us provide shelter, comfort, and medical care for animals in need.
Every gift fuels a rescue story.
Together, we save lives across Fayette County and beyond.
The Heart of Our Mission: Your Community Support
At the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter (GJAS), we believe that a community's compassion is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable members, including the four-legged ones who cannot speak for themselves. For nearly three decades, the generous hearts of Fayette County residents and businesses have been the driving force behind our ability to provide shelter, comfort, and medical care to animals in desperate need.
In 2021, GJAS rescued 1,461 unwanted, displaced, lost, and neglected animals, saving 97% and finding them forever homes across 27 states!
While we are grateful for the support we receive from municipalities, county government, and grants, the reality is that the vast majority of our operations depend entirely on the generosity of private citizens and local businesses. Every aspect of our mission, from maintaining our facilities and providing medical care to feeding, sheltering, transporting animals to out-of-state rescue partners, and staffing our operations, relies on community donations.
Your contributions, regardless of size, collectively create a safety net that catches every abandoned puppy, every injured stray cat, and every senior pet whose family can no longer care for them. Together, we're not just saving individual animals; we're building a healthier, more compassionate community for all of us to call home.
Efficient Stewardship of Your Trust
We understand that when you choose to support GJAS, you're placing your trust in us to use your donation wisely and effectively. Every dollar you contribute is carefully allocated to maximize our impact:
Your Donations Make Possible:
- Life-saving medical treatments for sick and injured animals
- Nutritious food and clean shelter for every animal in our care
- Spay and neuter voucher programs to prevent pet overpopulation
- Transportation networks that help animals find homes across the country
- Skilled staff and volunteer coordination ensuring professional care
- Facility maintenance and improvements to provide comfortable, safe environments
Our spay and neuter voucher program is particularly close to our hearts, as it addresses the root cause of pet homelessness. By helping prevent the prolific reproduction of cats and dogs, we're working to ensure that fewer puppies and kittens are born into a world without a clear path to a healthy, nurturing home.
Ways to Support Our Mission
GJAS offers several targeted donation programs, each designed to address specific needs within our shelter operations:
General Fund
Your flexible donations to our General Fund allow us to address our most pressing needs as they arise, ensuring we can respond quickly to emergencies and maintain daily operations. This fund also supports our Operation Save a Life program for first responders.
Medical Fund
Critical medical care can mean the difference between life and death for animals in our care. Your donations to our Medical Fund directly support surgeries, treatments, medications, and emergency veterinary care that help us maintain our 97% save rate.
Cat Nip / Dog Snip Fund
Prevention is the best medicine for pet overpopulation. Our spay and neuter voucher program helps Fayette County residents afford these important procedures, reducing the number of unwanted litters and improving community pet health.
Capital Improvement Fund
Our 24-year-old facility serves over 1,500 animals annually. With longer stays due to our commitment to saving lives, we need updated spaces to provide the best possible care. Your support helps us expand and improve our facilities.
Legacy Giving
Through our partnership with Fayette Community Foundation, you can create a permanent endowment that will support GJAS for generations to come, ensuring that your love for animals continues long into the future.
Operation Save a Life
Thank you for your service.
No adoption fees for qualifying service members and first responders.
For military, fire, nurses, EMT, law enforcement, and all first responders — current or retired.
To honor and thank those who have served our country and community, GJAS offers adoptions at no cost for dogs and cats to qualifying service members and first responders. Approved adopters will be required to present proof of service to qualify for the waived adoption fee.
This program is sponsored by generous community donors. To make a donation to sponsor this mission, contribute to our General Fund.
Join Us in Setting the Standard
Together, we can set the gold standard for animal care in Fayette County, a standard that reflects our community's values of compassion, responsibility, and love for all living creatures.
Every wagging tail, every contented purr, every successful adoption story begins with your generosity. Whether you contribute $5 or $500, sponsor a spay surgery or fund a medical treatment, your support creates a ripple effect of healing and hope that extends far beyond our shelter walls.
🐾 Your compassion + Our dedication = Lives transformed 🐾
Thank you for being the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. Thank you for being the heart of our mission. Thank you for making Fayette County a place where every animal has a chance at the love and care they deserve.
Ready to make a difference?
Visit our donation page todayand join the GJAS family in transforming lives, one animal at a time.